Haunted
by Evangeline-Kingsley
Summary: Sequel to CVS. With Ralph away in Manchester, Angel stays behind at a boarding school in London. Can she focus on her life when memories of the island and her brother continuously haunt her? Sometimes things are not meant to stay behind in the past.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello faithful readers! Welcome to the sequel! I have decided to tell this one in 3rd person rather than 1st this time. I hope you enjoy it as much as the first one. :)  
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Flies. If I did, Ralph and Jack would be ALL MINE! I also do not own any of the song lyrics or poems I use. I'm not that creative enough to think them up!**

_Have you ever tried to change yourself?_  
_Have you become the person you always said_  
_you were destined to be,_  
_only to have that one_  
_moment_  
_when you are blessed with a _  
_glimpse of your past_  
_and __where you came from?_

_Does it hurt?_

**

* * *

**Angel, now 18, pulled up into the parking lot of her new boarding school with butterflies in her stomach. Her wide hazel eyes stared up at the building in pure intimidation. She was sent here by her mother to finish out her final year of school. She decided to wait a year before returning back to her education. Ralph, on the other hand, was miles away at a school in Manchester. Angel remained in her home town of London. She gingerly pulled her keys out of the ignition and grabbed her things. With a deep breath, she started into the enormous building that was her new home.

She cautiously stepped into the school looking for the office. An elderly woman approached her from behind.

"May I help you?" the woman asked politely.

Angel jumped at her voice and turned around. Ever since she had gotten off the island some two years ago, she had become skittish and jumpy. Angel smiled awkwardly and answered the lady.

"Yes. I'm looking for the office. I need to get my class schedule."

The woman nodded and began walking, beckoning Angel to follow.

"I can take you there," the woman said. "My name is Alice Robinson. I'm the school counselor."

Angel smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Robinson. I'm Evangeline Kingsley. Or just Angel. "

"You're welcome, Miss. Kingsley."

Mrs. Robinson led Angel to the office and escorted her inside to get her schedule.

"Let me get one the students to show you around. I'll be right back."

Angel nodded and examined her schedule. It was a Saturday, so she had the whole weekend before her classes began.

"These classes don't look too hard," she thought. "I'll finish this final year of school out, and then I can reunite with Ralph."

She felt giddy after thinking about Ralph. They hadn't seen much of each other since they left the island. She missed him terribly and wished he didn't go to school so far away. She sighed and continued to study her schedule. She was interrupted by Mrs. Robinson's voice.

"Miss. Kingsley, are you ready to be shown around?"

Angel looked up from her paper and gasped at the student who now stood in front of her. His black robes covered his entire body and his red hair was messy beneath his cap.

"Oh God," Angel thought feeling sick. "Anything but this."


	2. The Tour

**Hello! I'm sorry for the late update. School's been killing me lately, so I probably won't update as often as I normally do. I'll still try to be frequent though! (:  
**

_You and I walk a fragile line_  
_I have known it all this time_  
_But I never thought I'd live to see it break_

_It's getting dark, and it's all too quiet_  
_And I can't trust anything now_  
_And it's coming over you like it's all a big mistake_

* * *

Angel's golden eyes went wide. She tried to swallow, but found her throat too dry. She looked as if she were about to say something, but decided against it. Mrs. Robinson was the one to break the painful silence.

"I thought it would make you more comfortable if I assigned Jack to you since you guys know each other."

Jack began to smirk as Angel bit her lip. Angel went to protest, but Mrs. Robinson turned on her heel and headed back to her office.

"Take good care of her Jack!" the counselor called as she left.

Mrs. Robinson had left Angel rooted to her spot, too afraid to talk or move. Angel began to chew on her lip as she ran a hand through her brown locks; habits picked up two years ago in a tropical hell.

"Ready to go?" Jack asked abruptly.

Angel jumped at the sudden voice. "Go where?"

Jack let out a frustrated sigh. "On your tour. Remember?"

"Oh yeah," she said dumbly.

Jack turned sharply, his black robes curving with him around his frame, and began to walk. His footsteps didn't make a single sound as he traveled down the hallway. "This way," he said, "and give me your schedule."

Angel handed him the paper Mrs. Robinson had given her earlier. Taking one look at it, Jack gracefully glided down the uncrowded hallway and showed Angel where all her classes were.

"These aren't too hard to find," Angel thought with a sigh of relief. Another concern suddenly struck her.

"Jack?"

Jack slowed his pace to meet Angel's. "Yes?"

"The other kids from the island- do they go here too?"

Jack focused in thought. "Yes. Most of them do. Roger never came back to school though and I haven't seen Ralph either."

Relief washed over Angel after learning Roger wasn't here. Jack alone was bad enough!

"Ralph isn't in London," Angel spoke. "I haven't seen him in a little while either."

Jack nodded thoughtfully. "Are you two still together?" Curiosity shone in his blue eyes.

Angel's eyes met Jack's. "Yes. We plan on meeting after the school year is over and finding a place together."

A pang of jealousy hit Jack. "Oh that sounds... nice," he managed as best as he could.

Angel's attention was focused elsewhere. She scanned the entire area of the place, taking in all the sights. Realizing Jack had spoken, she snaped back into focus.

"Uh, yeah," she said awkwardly. "I guess. What about you?"

Jack cringed. "No women for me," he said staring at Angel hintingly. "But I'm still leader of the choir. Most of the same boys from the island are still in it."

Angel tucked a brown curl behind her ear. "I see."

Jack led the way out of the hallway and traveled upstairs. "These are where the rooms are. Luckily, since this isn't too big of a school, you get a room to yourself."

Angel nodded, thankful she didn't have to share a room with a stranger. Ever since the island, she had been convinced that everyone was savages, leaving her afraid of people.

Jack showed her the locations of the girls rooms, showers, and the direction of the boys rooms, which were downstairs from the girls. "They allow visiting between boys and girls in the room area for studying and stuff. They keep a very strict time limit though; no visiting after 6:00."

"Alright," Angel said simply. "Which room is mine?"

Jack's icy eyes scanned her schedule. "Room 103. That's down this way."

The two walked down the empty hallway and found Angel's room at the very end of the hall.

"Here it is," said Jack digging through his robe pockets. "Let me find the key."

After a moment of searching, Jack pulled out a silver room key and unlocked the door. He handed Angel her key and pushed the heavy wooden door open. Inside was a simple room with a bed, desk, dresser, and closet.

"You think you'll remember where all your classes are?" Jack asked. Angel thought she heard a slight hint of genuine concern in his voice.

"Yeah. There're all around the same area," she smiled. Getting lost wasn't her main concern at the moment.

"Good," said Jack, "I'll let you get settled in here then. I'll be back up at 5:00 to come get you for dinner."

He turned and faced the door, ready to leave. As he opened the door, Angel stopped him. "Jack!"

Jack turned back around to face the brunette. "Yes?"

Angel smiled shyly. "Thanks for showing me around."

A slow smile crept onto Jack's face. "No problem," he said, "If you ever need anything just come find me."

Angel nodded and awkwardly waved at him as he departed down the hallway, his black cloak floating gracefully behind him. She shut the door behind her and instantly locked it. She went to her closet and looked at what occupied it. There were five of the same school uniforms, one for each day of the week, hanging inside. She grabbed one and examined the uniform. It consisted of a white long sleeved blouse, a black tie, a black and white plaid skirt, and black knee socks. Angel groaned at the thought of wearing a uniform and shuffled over to her bag to began unpacking it.

* * *

When she finished, the clock read 4:46. Fourteen more minutes until Jack arrived back for her. She felt uneasy around Jack considering everything that had happened on the island. Because of Jack, she no longer had a best friend; her brother. Simon had been her best friend from the day she was born. Now that he was gone, she felt alone in the world. Not having Ralph with her for the year wasn't helping either, but at least she would be able to live with him after the year was over. She would never be able to see Simon in person again. Angel was still plagued with nightmares except this time, they were of her brother. Almost every night she would see her brother in her dreams, but he was different. When he was alive, he was good natured and happy. Now, in her dreams, he was sad and unforgiving. Simon would always claim that it was her fault for his death. If she wouldn't have became a savage, he may still have been alive. Angel never knew if it was true or not and prayed it wasn't. Nevertheless, Simon would continue to haunt her no matter if it were or not.

Angel plopped down on her new bed and stared at the ceiling. "This year is going to be horrible," she said aloud to herself. It was true. She hated not being with Ralph. Ralph was the only one she felt completely safe with and with him away, she felt vulnerable and weak. She sighed and crossed over to the desk. She opened a drawer and found paper and pens inside it. She gingerly picked up a single sheet of paper and a pen. In delicate cursive, she began to write a letter to Ralph.

_Dear Ralph,  
Turns out that Jack and most of the others go to the same school as me. Can you believe it? I don't know what to do. I'm not sure if Jack has changed since then or not. He still has the hunter's stride, like he's about to sneak up on something. He makes me uneasy. I keep getting the feeling that since he killed Simon, he wants me next. Maybe I'm just being too paranoid. Other than all of that, it's not too bad. The counslor, Alice Robinson, doesn't seem too bad. That's a good thing I suppose because I suspect I will be spending a lot of time in her office. I swear I haven't felt mentally stable since everything before the island. The only good thing that came out of the experience was meeting you! Well, write me back about what's going on in Manchester. I love you, Ralph.  
__-Angel_

Angel re-read the letter and approved of it. She slid it into her desk and put her head down, resting it on her folded arms. Right as her eyes drooped closed, she was sent jumping at the sharp knocking at her door. Her half closed eyes wandered over towards the clock. It was 5:00 right on the dot. "Man Jack is punctual," she thought as she widely yawned. She rose from the desk and flung open the heavy door. Jack stood in front of her wearing a normal school uniform this time, rather than his choir robes.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

Angel ran her hand through her hair. "Sure."

The walked side by side down the hallway to the cafeteria. The whole way there, Angel paid attention to one thing: the way Jack walked. His strides were silent and didn't make a noise. They were quick paced, almost as if he were after something. Jack Merridew still had the hunter's stride.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry if some of the boarding school things don't make sense. I've never been to a boarding school before so I'm trying to make it as realistic and accurate as I can! Anyways, please review. Reviews make me update faster! (:**


	3. Heat of the Moment

**A/N: I'm sooooo sorry for not updating in forever, but my computer and internet somehow got screwed up and I had to go get it fixed. I will try to update a lot to make up for the missed time! :)**

_Be my bad boy, be my man_  
_Be my week-end lover_  
_But don't be my friend_  
_You can be my bad boy_  
_But understand_  
_That I don't need you in my life again_

* * *

Angel quietly followed Jack into the cafeteria. She stared at all of the other kids, suddenly feeling intimidated by them. As if sensing her feelings, Jack put a rough hand on her shoulder.

"Don't be nervous, Angel. I'll sit by you."

Angel weakly nodded and followed Jack to the line. Once they got their food, they found an empty table and sat down. Pork steaks and mashed potatos were being served to the kids for dinner. Jack hungrily began to tear into his food while Angel blankly stared at it. There was no way she was about to eat this. Ever since she had left the island, she could never bring herself to eat pig. She felt too guilty and savage like. Instead, she pushed the pork away and began to slowly eat the bland, lumpy potatos. Jack looked up from his food.

"Why aren't you eating?"

Angel's golden eyes met Jack's. "I'm not eating pig. Not after..._ that_."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Well you have to eat something," he said with a hint of irritation.

Angel put her elbow onto the table and rested the side of her head on her hand. "I'd rather not."

Jack let out a defeated sigh and dug his fork into his pork. "Suit yourself," he muttered.

Angel chewed her lip and watched Jack eat in disgust. _How could he eat that?_ She shuddered and focused her attention elsewhere. Her yellow-green eyes scanned the different tables around the spacious cafeteria. Her eyes rested on a particular one filled with boys she instantly recognized. Robert, Bill, Maurice, Harold, and everyone else that was in Jack's choir. Angel wasn't sure whether to feel relieved to actually know some people here, or to feel alarmed that she went to the same school as a bunch of savages. Angel could of sworn that if she looked long enough, she could see the distinct red, white, and black war paint reappear on their tan skin. She looked down at her own arm. Her skin was still shades darker than her classmates because of the island. Even Jack was still tan. And muscular. Angel flinched at her thought and mentally scolded herself. She didn't want to think about Jack like that. It reminded her too much of the island. Everything seemed to remind her of the island. Angel was convinced that everyone was a savage out to hunt. Especially the people from the island. The choir members from the other table suddenly met Angel's eyes. Angel snapped back into reality and flinched at the multiple pairs of savage eyes on her. They all stared into her soul; every single one of them. Angel shifted uncomfortably in her seat and glanced down at her tray. The pork seemed to silently mock her as it sat untouched. She winced in disgust and folded her arms, burying her head into them. Her eyes slid closed as she tried as best as she could to relax herself. Jack raised a curious eyebrow and reached a strong, tan arm to tap her. Angel raised her head slowly and met his blue eyes.

"What do you want?" Angel growled irritably.

Jack flinched at her sudden change of behaviour. "To know what's wrong," he responded.

Angel lifted an arm up and rested her cheek against her hand. "Nothing," she muttered absently. After a moment of silence between the two, she vaugely rose to her feet and turned to leave. Jack jumped up quickly and moved in front of Angel to stop her.

"Where are you going?" he demanded.

Angel put her hands on her hips. "To my room," she said simply.

Jack gently grabbed Angel's arm to escort her. "I'm going with you."

Angel looked horrfied. "Oh no you're not!"

Jack began to lead her back to the rooms. "Yes I am. We're going there right now."

Angel looked for more ways to protest. "Aren't visiting hours until 6?"

Jack smiled slyly. "On weekdays. I must have forgotten to mention it's until 8 on weekends."

Angel let out a long defeated sigh and gave up as Jack led her upstaris. Finally, they were outside room 103.

"Where's your key?"

Angel reached her hand into her pocket and fished out her silver key. She jammed it into the lock and pushed the heavy door open. It opened up with a long creak as the pair stepped into Angel's room. Angel headed straight for the bed and landed face down into the mattress. Even though it was only 5:32, Angel was tired. Jack crossed over to the bed and sat down on it. Angel raised her face from her pillow and saw Jack's position. Great. He's on my damn bed. Trying to ignore him, she buried her face back into the pillow. Maybe if he's smart, he'll get the hint. Instead, contrary to what Angel wanted, he leaned back to where he was laying next to Angel. She felt his presence next to her and shuddered. Slowly, she raised her tired eyes. "What if someone comes in for a check and sees this?" she hissed.

Jack snickered. "I locked the door behind me. And if someone were to knock for a check, which never happens, I'll just hide under the bed until they leave." Jack smiled, proud of his well thought-out plan. Angel, however, rolled her eyes and rolled onto her back. She blankly stared up at the off-white ceiling. She felt Jack slowly inching his way closer to her. Angel wrinkled up her nose and closed her eyes, blocking everything out. _Why was she so tired?_ She yawned and relaxed at the soothing feeling of closed eyes.

* * *

_Angel was standing on the beach with Jack across from her. Suddenly, Jack leaned in and kissed her softly. Angel kissed back whole-heartedly, trying to lean into him as close as she could. They stayed in that embrace until Simon and Ralph emerged from the darkness. Ralph was yelling something unknown to Angel. All she could focus on was the look her brother was giving her. It one of disgust and disbelief. Angel then realized he was starting to walk away. Angel looked back to Jack horror stricken._

_"What should I do?" she asked in a panic._

_Jack calmly gazed into her eyes. "Just let Simon walk away," he said in a silky tone. "He's your brother. You guys can't stay mad at each other forever."_

_Angel felt a pang of guilt hit her with the irony of Jack's words. She pulled out of Jack's embrace and began to run to Simon. Ignoring Jack's protests behind her, she sprinted as fast as she could to Simon. When she caught up with him, his back was turned to her. Angel began to apologize._

_"Simon, I'm sorry. I should have listened to you from the start. Things may have been a lot better if I would have. I'm sorry for being such an idiot. Simon?"_

_Simon stood, unmoving, from his spot without saying a single word. Angel put her hand on her brother's shoulder and slowly turned him around. Angel screamed at what she saw. Simon's face was brusied and cut beyond recognition. His flesh was torn and he was missing chunks of skin throughout his body. Angel's knees grew weak and gave out, causing her to fall to the ground. She sobbed uncontrollably at the sight of her brother. Even dead, he still appeared to be frowning at her._

_"Simon, I'm so sorry."  
_

* * *

Angel awoke with a wimper. Tears were uninvitingly making their way down her tan face. She blinked them away rapidly and glanced at the clock. It was 7:14. When the tears faded, she finally realized the position she was in. Jack, who had fallen asleep too, had her trapped in his embrace. His strong arms were wrapped tightly around her petite frame as he slept peacefully. Every time Angel tried to struggle out of the embrace, Jack's grip tightened. She sighed, refusing to give up, and began to shake him awake.

"Jack," she whispered. "Jack, wake up!"

Jack's icy eyes began to slowly open. "Wha-?" His vision was blurred by sleep. "What time is it?" he asked sharply as his conciousness began to return.

7:15 now," Angel informed.

Jack visibly relaxed. "We still have 45 minutes left." His embrace hadn't loosened on her since he woke up. Angel had become very aware of this as she fought off every savage impulse she had deep inside.

"Let me go," she demanded sharply.

Jack smirked. "And what fun would that be?"

Angel did a face palm and did her best to roll over. Not thinking, she rolled over to the side Jack was on and came face to face with him. Silently cursing herself, she tried her best to roll onto her other side, but Jack held her to this position. Silently and quickly, he lowered his lips onto hers and pressed roughly. He could have sworn that Angel kissed back for at least a split second. She pulled back with all her might, looking outraged.

"What the bloody hell was that?" she yelled.

Jack slapped a hand over her mouth. "Shh.. you don't wanna be caught, do you?"

Angel tore his hand off. "What was that?" she asked quieter this time.

Jack proudly smirked. "I felt like it, you wanted it; win-win situation."

Angel quivered with rage. "You bloody swine! I don't want anything from you!" Her face was flushed with anger.

Jack's expression did not change. He simply stared at her, amused by her furious reaction. "Yes you did. You just won't admit it to yourself."

Angel's eyes widened as she pushed a stray curl out of her face. Finally free from Jack's embrace, Angel sat cross-legged on her bed facing Jack. Jack was causally laying up, propped up by both his elbows. Angel's gaze was fixed downwards, her face scrunched up in complete concentration. _Was Jack right? Was I in denial?_ She shook her thoughts away and raised her tired eyes back up to Jack. Their eyes instantly met and locked in place. Jack's arm slowly moved forward to rest on Angel's knee. Angel hissed at the contact, but reluctantly allowed it. _Maybe if I allow this, I'll prove to myself that I have absolutely_ no _feelings for him._ Angel nodded slightly to herself and forced a smile at Jack. Jack, immediatley noticing her reaction, slid his hand up her leg towards her upper thigh. The girl cringed, but stayed still without struggle. Jack smiled to himself, obviously pleased with Angel's demeanour, leaned in and deeply kissed her. The brunette froze against his lips as he tried to get a reaction out of her. Jack gently bit her bottom lip. Angel made a small noise in the back of her throat, but stubbornly stayed still. Jack, refusing to give up, seductively drug his hot tongue along her bottom lip. His actions caused a small moan to escape Angel's lips unwillingly. Her lips momentarily parted and Jack, seizing the oppurtunity, shoved his tongue inside and explored her mouth. Angel, losing the last shread of sanity she had left, gave in and began hungrily kissing him back. Their hot tongues swirled and danced together in each other's mouth. Jack's minty breath tasted wonderful against Angel's mouth and tongue as she desperately crashed her lips against his. Jack leaned back onto the bed and pulled Angel on top of him. Lost in the moment, Angel let him pull her back. She climbed on top of him and straddled him. Jack's hands shot up and found their way to her hips. In a blaze of desire, he grinded his hips hard against hers, earning a soft moan from the lust stricken girl. She pushed her hips back into his just as hard, enjoying the feeling it created. It wasn't until Jack began to reach a hand up her shrit when Angel suddenly regained mental consciousness of the situation.

"Jack! St-stop!" she cried.

Jack's hand froze halfway up her shirt on her smooth stomach. "What?" he asked, unhappy to be stopped.

All of the colour drained from Angel's face. "What are we doing?" she wondered blankly._ What just happened?_

Jack, taken aback by the question, simply shrugged his shoulders. "I think you know the answer to that question."

Angel's stomach sank as she realized what had just happened. She had gotten lost in the heat of the moment. Angel silently cursed herself for her loss of self control and pulled away from Jack, slamming herself into the hard mattress. Angry tears filled up the brim of her eyes as Jack watched with a confused expression. "I-I thought you wanted the same thing," he said absently.

Angel shook her head against the mattress. "I don't know what I want," she choked out in a strained voice. She lifted up her head and looked at Jack through bleary, bloodshot eyes. Jack held out his arms to her and she weakly crawled into them. As soon as his arms were wrapped around her, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. All through out the night, the same question kept popping up in her head. The same difficult question that was impossible to know the answer to:_ What did she want?_


	4. Counseling

_Give me the strength I need when I'm feeling weak._  
_This is my time of need._  
_Give me the peace I need when I'm feeling restless._  
_I need you more than ever._  
_I know there will be a time when I have fallen._  
_Your hands will guide me out and purify my soul._  
_When I fall...you help me to rise again._

* * *

Rays of sunlight flooded the room as Angel awoke with bleary eyes and heavy eye lids. She groggily turned on her side and found the other half of the bed empty. Her eyes slowly slid closed as she realized Jack was gone. Angel was beginning to confuse her emoitions for Ralph and Jack. She didn't know how to act around them anymore. She loved Ralph, but there was something about Jack that she liked. She sighed and sat up in bed, rubbing her irritated eyes. She hopped off the bed and made her way over to the desk. Taking out a blank sheet of paper, she decided to write Ralph. She began to write a letter in her familar cursive hand.

_Dear Ralph,_  
_It get's worse here everyday. I saw a bunch of the island kids at the same table the other day. I swear I can still see the war paint on everyone; especially Jack. He all still has so many tendencies from the island. I can never hear his hunter-like footsteps. There are some days where I feel so uneasy. My only friend here is the same person who killed my brother, then tried to kill us. I miss you and cannot wait until the year is over. Tell me how Manchester and school is going for you!  
__Love, Angel_

Angel scanned back through the letter and shoved it back into her desk drawer, deciding to send it later. She sulked back to the bed and glanced at the clock. It was 8:36 in the morning. Tomorrow was Monday and Angel's classes began. She sighed and wondered if she could manage to find them without getting lost. That wasn't her main concern though. Angel was confused about Jack. She wasn't sure whether to hate him or like him._ Was he safe? Was he pretending to be like this to win my trust,_ _only to later hunt me down once and for all?_ So many paranoid thoughts scrambled through Angel's mind. She shook her head and furrowed her brow in thought._Mrs. Robinson! Yes, the counseler could perhaps help her! She had seemed like a nice lady._ Angel slide off her bed in a swift motion and made her way to her closet. She pulled out a purple long sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans. Quickly, she got dressed and ran a comb through her wavy hair. Angel pushed open the heavy wooden door and quietly walked down the hallway towards Mrs. Robinson's office. "Hope this helps," she said aloud to herself.

Angel reached Mrs. Robinson's office within a short time. She stood outside the counseler's door and gently knocked. She heard footsteps scrambling to answer on the other side of the door. Within seconds, Mrs. Robinson peeked out to see who it was. "Hello!" she said in a kind tone. "Come on in."

Angel strode into the office and Mrs. Robinson took her seat behind her desk. Alice Robinson was a short, skinny woman of 61 who had medium length blonde hair and a kind smile. She fixed her chocolate brown eyes on Angel, trying to remember her name.

"Evangeline, right?" she asked. "The new girl?"

Angel began nervously twisting her hair around her finger. "Yes ma'am. That's me."

The counseler nodded and smiled. "Okay, Evangeline. So what brings you here?" Mrs. Robinson leaned back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap.

Angel took a deep breath, suddenly nervous, and began chewing on her lip. "Well, I'm still paranoid from the island." She stopped suddenly to collect her thoughts.

Mrs. Robinson nodded. "Yes, I remember hearing about your past experiences from your mom before you first came here." She shook her head in pity. "Such a scary thing too. I could never imagine going through the things you children did."

"Yeah, it was tramatic," Angel said in a small, weak voice. Memories were coming back one by one. "They-we killed innocent animals with spears! The killed Piggy! They killed..." Angel stopped, tears prickling at the corners of her sad eyes.

Mrs. Robinson rose from her desk and approched Angel. The counseler embraced her in a warm, sincere hug and looked into the girl's eyes. "They killed who, dear?"

Angel shivered thinking about the past. She desperately wished she could put it behind her and forget it. She wiped the corners of her bleary eyes. "My brother, Simon."

The elderly woman looked crushed. Tears began to sting her eyes too. She quickly wiped them away before they became noticable. "Oh honey, I'm so sorry." She gently patted Angel's shoulder.

Silent tears rolled down Angel's face. "Mrs. Robinson?"

The counseler brushed back a few of her blonde locks. "You can call me Alice, honey," she said warmly. She rolled the chair from behind her desk and moved it next to Angel's chair.

Angel smiled meekly. There was a warm, loving vibe around Alice that made her feel safe. It reminded her of the way she felt safe when she was around Ralph. Feeling a bit more confident than before, she sat up straight and felt her tears cease.

"Well, Alice, when I was on the island, things started out just fine. Then, I got caught in between two boys. One was caring and sincere. He was a natural born leader and made me feel like I was safe. He thought being civil was the best thing to do. The other wasn't as sincere. He was blood thirsty and cruel. He's the one who k-killed my brother. However, I felt some strange connection between us. I can't describe it."

Alice nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Do these men have names?"

"Ralph Lewis and Jack Merridew."

Alice's eyes flashed. "Merridew? He can't be the one who did that to your brother, can he?"

Angel shook her head. "That's right. Jack Merridew killed my brother. Simon was coming out of the jungle and Merridew and the tribe attacked him. This happened after I had gone to bed. Ralph was the one to wake me and break the news to me."

Alice pattted Angel's hand sympathetically. "I'll tell you what," she began thoughtfully. "Why don't you start coming to my office every Sunday? Would it make you feel better if we did this once a week?"

A slow smile crept upon Angel's face as she visibly relaxed. Talking with Alice once a week made her feel much more relieved. "Sounds like a plan."

"Excellent!" Alice exclaimed clapping her hands together. "Then it's settled. We'll have a session every Sunday at 11:00 in the morning. Does that sound good, dear?"

Angel smiled up at the older woman. "Yes, ma'am."

Alice returned the smile. "Is there anything else you want to talk about while you're here?"

Angel brought a thumb nail to her mouth and chewed it thoughtfully. "Why don't I just start from the beginning?"

Alice sat back in her chair and listened as Angel told her the story and every detail about what happened on the island. When she was finished, Alice crossed over to Angel and hugged her, saying some calming words to the girl as well. Angel smiled and turned towards the door.

"Alice?"

"Yes?"

The brunette bit her lip. "Thank you... for everything."

"You're welcome, Angel," Alice said warmly. "See you next Sunday."

Angel waved and headed down the hallway smiling. She had finally found someone she could trust. She finally had a friend in the world.

* * *

Angel walked down the empty hallway as quicky and quietly as she could with hopes of avoiding Jack. Jack's constant presence was being to frustrate the brunette. She shook her thoughts off as her small hand reached for her door knob. The wooden door opened with a loud creak as she stepped inside her room. Jack, lazily sprawled out on her bed, lifted his head up at the sound of Angel's door.

"About time," he muttered sleepily.

Angel puzzled expression fell upon her face._ Wasn't he gone when I woke up this morning?_

"How did you get in here?"

Jack chuckled lightly. "You left the door unlocked."

Angel visibly cringed and mentally scolded herself for her carelessness. "So you just come right in? What were you doing around my room in the first place?"

Jack lowered his eyelids in an attempt to look bored. "I was coming to see you, I knocked, no answer, came right in, invaded the bed, blah blah blah, here I am now," he rambled. He rolled over onto his stomach and innocently gazed at Angel. Angel lowered her eyes at him.

"You're going to get us caught if you keep this up!" she responded hotly, glaring at Jack.

Jack looked back at her through his icy eyes and smirked. "No I won't. I'm too sneaky to get caught."

Angel's stomach dropped at the word sneaky. Jack Merridew was, in fact, _very_ sneaky. Images of Jack and his hideous warpaint flashed into her mind. Everytime he went out hunting, he became more and more sneaky and sly. Her eyes flashed back to her bed where Jack was causally laying. His gaze was absently fixed on the wall, his mind wandering in a different place. Angel, deciding to ignore Jack as best as she could today, crossed over to her desk and pulled her letter to Ralph out. She folded it and walked to the door. Jack immediately shot up from his place on the bed.

"And just where do you think you're going?" he demanded. An eyebrow of concern shot up as he interrogated the girl.

Angel bit her lip and turned on her heel. "Does it matter to you?" She said, trying to keep her cool.

Jack slide gracefully off the bed and stood by her side. "Yes. It's my job to keep you safe here."

Angel shot him a dirty look as she lost what bit of self control remained. "Keep me safe?" she repeated hotly and slowly. "Keep me safe? I remember a time, Merridew, where you hunted me. If that naval officer hadn't shown up, my head would have been on a stick somewhere in the middle of the jungle. And now you're trying to tell me that you're going to accompany me everywhere I go so you can keep me safe?"

With that, Angel's hand reached for the doorknob. As she pulled the door open, Jack shut it from behind. He grabbed her by the waist and turned her around to face him.

"First of all," he started as his eyes bore into hers, "It was never my intention to kill_ you_. Just Ralph. Second of all, you have no idea how guilty I feel. I think about it everyday. The things we did on that island to survive we horrible. Angel, the guilt eats me alive everyday.

Angel stared coldly into his eyes. "Good, you deserve at least that much." She shoved his hands away from her waist and flung open the door. She half sprinted down the hallway leaving a very stunned Jack behind in the doorway. As she reached the end of the hall, her pace slowed down to a walk. _Did Jack mean that? Does he really care about my saftey, or is he_ _just trying to manipulate my mind with lies?_ Angel had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach that Jack Merridew wasn't quite done with the hunt yet.

* * *

**A/N: Hello! So I am definitely the most indecisive person in the world, and I still don't know who to put Angel with. Everytime I have one idea, it turns into something completely different. Please review and tell me which one you like better! :) And to you Ralph fans: Don't worry. He will be in this story sometime soon. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Fire and Ice

**Every time we lie awake**  
**After every hit we take**  
**Every feeling that I get**  
**But I haven't missed you yet**

**Only when I stop to think about it**

**I hate everything about you**  
**Why do I love you?**  
**I hate everything about you**  
**Why do I love you?**

**Only when I stop to think about you,**  
**I know**  
**Only when you stop to think about me,**  
**do you know?**

**I hate everything about you**  
**Why do I love you?**  
**You hate everything about me**  
**Why do you love me?**

**I hate**  
**You hate**  
**I hate**  
**You love me**

**I hate everything about you**  
**Why do I love you? **

* * *

After sending her letter to Ralph, Angel stumbled back down the hallway towards the cafeteria. The thought of eating bland school food made her sick to her stomach. She went through the lunch line quickly and sat down at the same table as yesterday. Angel bent her head down and mindless picked at her food. She was feeling sick today. Her head was burning and throbbing painfully, and her stomach was queasy. Angel felt her eyes start to slid down as laid her head against the table. She jumped when she heard a tray slam down against the table next to her. She didn't have to look up to know who it was. Jack sat down next to her and gave her a concerned look.

"Why aren't you eating?" he demanded as he bit into a strip of bacon.

Angel looked disgusted as she gazed at the raw bacon on her plate. _Pig. It was made of pig._ She pushed it to the edge of her plate and dug her fork into the scrambled eggs. She scowled at Jack as she grudgingly shoved the eggs into her mouth.

"I am," she retorted coldly.

Jack rolled his eyes as he chewed his bacon. "You're so stubborn," he said with a full mouth.

Angel winced in disgust and laid her head back against the table again. The coolness felt heavenly against her hot skin.

Jack tilted his head to the side in curiosity. "What's wrong with you?"

Angel groggily pulled her head up and rested it on her hand. "Well, if you must know, I feel like shit," she remarked dryly, tugging at her sleeves.

Jack took his hand and put it against the brunette's hot forehead. "Angel! You're burning up!" he started, his icy blue eyes flashing."You need to get back to your room. I'll be there in a minute."

Angel, too weak to argue, shakily stood up and trudged back to her room. She had no idea what was making her feel sick, but she knew she didn't like it. She threw open the door and fell face first into her bed, screaming into her pillow. Her head felt as if it were about to overheat and explode. It throbbed like a heartbeat as she limply laid, waiting for Jack to arrive. After what seemed like an eternity, Jack returned with a damp washcloth and a bowl of soup. Angel slowly sat up and raised an eyebrow.

"Where did you get that?" she asked eyeing the soup. It looked delicious compared to the tasteless cafeteria food. As if on cue, her stomach growled loudly, earning a small chuckle from Jack.

"I have my connections," he smirked. He shut the door and sat on the edge of Angel's bed. Jack bent over her small frame and draped the cold, wet washcloth over Angel's forehead. Relief washed over Angel as the coolness sunk into her boiling skin. Jack set the steaming soup down on her nightstand and gazed down at her. Angel could have sworn she saw a hint of tenderness in Jack's hard eyes as she gazed back.

"So what exactly happened to you?" Jack asked. He took her hot hand and placed it in his own. It was surprising cold against Angel's skin.

"I don't know," mumbled Angel. "When I woke up this morning it wasn't bad. It just gradually got worse as the day went on." The puzzled brunette chewed on her lip and brought her free hand up to the washcloth, pushing it gently so that water dripped from it. Cold drops of water ran down her face as she closed her eyes. She took a deep breath as sleep quickly consumed her.

When she awoke, she found Jack still on the edge of her bed gazing absently into space. When he realized she was concious, he hopped down from the bed and retrieved the soup.

"Hungry?" he asked smiling.

Angel smiled back, nodding her head. Jack placed the bowl on her outstretched hands and smirked. "I guess you don't want me to feed you then, huh?"

Angel playfully rolled her eyes as she swirled her spoon in her soup. "I think I can manage by myself."

Jack shrugged. "Suit yourself then. Oh and give me your washcloth too."

Not asking questions, Angel handed it over to Jack and he disappeared into the hallway without a word.

"Did he just steal my washcloth?" Angel asked aloud to herself. She shrugged with a quiet giggle and went back to sipping her soup. By the time she was almost finished eating, Jack returned and placed the washcloth back on Angel's head.

"I, uh, stuck it in some ice for a little while so it would be colder for you."

Angel smiled and placed her empty bowl onto the nightstand. "Thanks, Jack," she said warmly._Maybe he's not so bad after all. Or maybe it's a trick. A dirty trick to win my trust._

Jack grinned at her. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked taking hold of her hand again.

Angel leaned into his cold touch and bit her lip. "Yes, a little."

Jack felt her lean, so he moved his body next to hers and draped his cool arm around her. Angel sighed contentedly and laid her head against his chest. Jack's fingers slowly went for the buttons of his shirt and undid them one at a time. When his bare chest was exposed, Angel buried her face into his chest. She felt ashamed of herself, but the coldness of his skin felt so good against her fevered head. With no intentions of going anywhere else, Angel leaned against his body and absorbed the coolness raidiating from him, her eyes closing again.

Jack watched her actions speechlessly. _Didn't she just hate me earlier?_ He shook his head perplexed and kissed Angel's forehead. The hotness of her skin burned his cool lips, but nevertheless, he repeated the action again. Jack lightly traced a finger down the side of her face, then moved down to her arms. He rolled up her sleeves, thinking it would help cool her down, and gasped at what he saw. Numerous scars, in various shapes and sizes, covered the brunette's tan arms. Jack's eyes grew wide._ What happened to her? Was this all from the island, or were these self inflicted?_ Jack bit into his lip and wrapped his arms around her. Now that he was here, she was going to be kept safe from everything.

Angel, eyes still closed, was lost in thought. She loved Ralph with all her heart, but a new problem presented itself. No matter how hard she tried to hide and deny it, she was also, in fact, in love with Jack Merridew.

* * *

**A/N: Hey! I'm sorry my grammer sucks in this chapter. I never know whether to use "laid" or "layed." Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter! Pleeeease review! They make my day! (Because I have no life) Lol(:**


	6. Jealousy

_I was dreaming of the past. _  
_And my heart was beating fast, _  
_I began to lose control, _  
_I began to lose control, _

_I didn't mean to hurt you, _  
_I'm sorry that I made you cry, _  
_I didn't want to hurt you, _  
_I'm just a jealous guy, _

_I was feeling insecure, _  
_You might not love me any more, _

_I was shivering inside, _  
_I was shivering inside, _

_I was trying to catch your eyes, _  
_Thought that you were trying to hide, _  
_I was swallowing my pain, _  
_I was swallowing my pain. _

* * *

Angel woke up to her loud alarm buzzing in her ear the next day._ Monday_. She groaned and stumbled to her closet, picking out her school uniform. After getting dressed and running a comb through her locks, she picked up her schedule and bag of school supplies as she exited the room and trudged down to the cafeteria. The familar scent of school food hit her like a ton of bricks. She gagged and continued forward to the line, getting her food in no time. She sat down and began nibbling at her burnt toast. Moments later, as if on cue, Jack slammed his tray down next to her and smiled. Angel half-heartedly returned the smile and discarded the bacon on her plate as always._ How does he always know where I am?_ They went through breakfast in record time and made their way through the hallway.

"What's your first class?" Jack asked, trying to get a glimpse of her schedule.

Angel tugged at her sleeves and adjusted the bag on her shoulders. "English," she replied absently.

Jack beamed. "That's my first hour too!" He smiled happily and ran a hand through his always messy hair. "Let me see your schedule." Jack's eyes scanned the piece of paper occasionally smiling and frowning. "We only have English and Gym together."

Angel wasn't sure whether to be upset or relieved. _At least I'll know someone in two of my classes._ However, she smiled at Jack. "At least we have two."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, better than none. I can always walk you to your other ones too."

Angel smirked. _Well at least I don't have to stress about getting lost anymore._ "Thanks Jack."

Jack smiled. "Come on. We don't want to be late to English."

They walked side by side down the hallway to the first class of the day. Seeing the counseler on the way there, Angel greeted her warmly. "Good morning, Mrs. Robinson."

Alice turned and glanced in Angel's direction. "Oh! Hello dear! Have a good first day," she called to her.

Angel beamed as Jack looked confused. "Since when did you and the counseler become such good friends?"

Angel shook her head, ignoring Jack, and stepped into the class. Picking a seat towards the back, she set her bag down next to her and smoothed out her skirt. Jack, naturally, sat in the desk next to her just as the bell rang. Angel crossed her legs and sat back in her seat ready to face the long school day.

A plump, middle aged woman entered the room carrying a clip board and a briefcase. Pieces of her auburn hair fell loosely from her messy bun as she set her things down on her desk. "Good morning class," she said with a monotone voice.

"Good morning, Mrs. Walker," replied a chorus of dreary voices.

Mrs. Walker looked at her clipboard. "I see we have a new student today. Evangeline Kingsley?" The teacher scanned the room for a new girl. Angel, not liking the public attention, shyly raised her hand. The teacher smiled and motioned her to come to the front of the room.

"Why don't you tell the class a little bit about yourself?" she asked.

Angel nervously looked at Jack. He immediately took action. "Mrs. Walker? Angel's a little shy. Could we perhaps skip it instead?"

The teacher shook her head. "Nonsense! Come on up here, dear."

Angel grudgingly glared at the woman and sulked to the front of the class. She looked at the many students staring back and mentally panicked. _Savages! They're all savages! Oh why do I have to put war paint_ on _every person I meet?_ Tensing up, Angel began her introduction.

"Um.. My name is Evangeline Kingsley, but you can call me Angel. I-I'm from London and I am eighteen-years-old." Her eyes went straight to Jack as he smiled reassuringly at her.

"Thank you, Angel. You may sit back down now," Mrs. Walker dismissed.

Angel walked as fast as she could back to her desk, relief washing over her. _This was going to be a long day.  
_

* * *

Angel sat in her history class watching the second hand of the clock tick. It was the last hour of the day, and she wanted it to be over with. She hadn't made many new friends here. She met a nice boy named Freddy in her science class, and a girl named Ronnie in history. _Well at least I have two new aquaintances_. The second hand seemed to go slower and slower around the clock the longer Angel stared at it. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the bell rang , dismissing the students to their rooms. Angel grabbed her bag and headed out into the hallway.

"Hey," she heard from behind her. She turned around and saw Freddy behind her. He smiled and waved at her.

Angel waved back, returning the smile. "Hello. How are you?" she asked politely.

Freddy shrugged indifferently and ran a hand through his brown hair. "Good, I suppose. I'm not liking the school work. How was your first school day here?"

Angel tugged at her sleeves. "It was alright. Not too bad I guess," she replied, faking a smile.

Freddy smiled. "Well that's good. So-"

He was cut off by an approaching Jack Merridew. "What are doing?" he asked while slinging a protective arm around Angel. Angel rolled her eyes at his ridiculous action.

Freddy, however, looked intimidated. "Oh! I didn't know that you were Merridew's girl!" he exclaimed in shock, his brown eyes wide.

Angel tried to protest, but Jack interrupted before she could choke a word out. "Yes, she's mine. So that means stay away from her!" he growled.

The poor boy turned on his heel and hurried off in the opposite direction, leaving Jack laughing hysterically. "Did you see his face?" he cackled, obviously pleased with himself.

"You just scared off one of the only friends I have here!" Angel scowled. She pushed his arm off of her.

"I'm the only one you need here," he smirked, his arm finding its way back to her shoulder. "You don't need anyone else."

Angel glared at him. "Why is he so afraid of you anyways?" she asked, ignoring Jack's comments. She turned and began to trot down the hallway to her room, half expecting Jack to follow.

"He's in my choir," Jack stated, looking proud. "I have authority over him." He puffed out his chest in attempt to look tough and winked at Angel.

Angel couldn't help but gigged at how funny he looked. She smirked to herself and she continued forwards, climbing up the stairs to the hallway her room was in. She retrieved her key from her bag and jammed it into the lock, shoving the wooden door open in one swift motion. The first thing that she noticed was the envelope that lay on the floor next to the crack under the door._ One of the adults must have_ _slid it under the door_. She bent over and picked up the small envelope and rushed to the bed. She sat down and tore the envelope, eagarly awaiting to see what was inside. Jack popped in through the door and sat down next to her, eyeing the paper Angel held in her hands. Her facial expression instantly told Jack who the paper was from. _Ralph._

_Angel,  
__I miss you so much. Manchester is lonely without your beautiful face here. I wish I could be there with you so badly. We get next week of school off, so I've arranged a leave to come visit you. Go make arrangements with your school so you can leave campus during the weekend. I'll meet you in the parking lot there, and we can decide what to do from there. I can't wait to see you. I love you, Angel.  
Love, Ralph_

Angel squealed as she reread the letter over and over. Jack, on the other side, emitted a low growling sound from his throat, jealousy consuming him. He shoved his fist into Angel's pillow, his breathing becoming more rapid.

"Why does Ralph have to always ruin everything?" he yelled, his face turning a soft pink. "He took my position as chief, he took my girl, and who knows what he'll take next!" With that, Jack sprung up from the bed and stormed out the door, leaving Angel in shock. She gazed after him, mouth open, as she tried to register what had just happened. A part of her was relieved he was gone, and another part of her wanted to run after him. Using every ounce of self control she had, she remained rooted to the bed. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she studied Ralph's handwriting. "I'm going to see Ralph!" reverberated through her head over and over like a broken record player. She knew she would have to keep Ralph as far away from Jack as possible. She knew what Jack was capable of, and she knew he was very unpredictable. She shuddered at the thought of the two meeting again. Trying to clear her mind, she pulled out the assignments from class and began completing them.

After finishing her homework, showering, and eating dinner, she still hadn't seen Jack since he stormed out. Half worried, half relieved, she collapsed on her bed and glanced at the clock. It read 6:14 in bright red numbers. Knowing she probably wouldn't see Jack tonight, Angel went to her closet and threw on a tanktop, discarding her usual long sleeved shirt. Angel sat down in the middle of the floor and studied her numerous scars that occupied her arm. Some were from getting scratched in the jungle from the island, some were from the plane crash, and some were from herself. After being rescued from the tropical hell, Angel went through a dark phase, occasionally cutting her own arms to let her anguish out. She had a big letter "R" carved in her right wrist, and a "J" in her left.

"Ralph and Jack," she mumbed to herself, tracing her finger along the lettered scars. Slightly higher up on her arm, a scar revealing the name "Simon" was engraved in her flesh. It was slightly smaller than the "R" and "J," but was still there, nevertheless, serving as a permanent reminder of what happened on the island. Silent tears began dripping down Angel's face as she gazed at her arm, ashamed of herself. She drug herself off the ground and flung herself into her bed, switching off the lights. She curled up in the fetal position and cried quietly, her head spinning with horrid memories. Sleep finally consumed the girl, damning her into an unforgivable world of dreams.

* * *

_Black, red, and white warpaint covered Angel's body as she lightly ran a finger over the tip of her spear. Jack, wearing matching paint, sat next to her sharpening his stick with his hunting knife. It was dark out and the only light they had was the small fire burning in front of them. The tribe was asleep at Castle Rock, leaving Angel and Jack alone on the beach. Angel absently chewed on a piece of roasted pig as Jack concentrated on his knife. Suddenly, they heard footsteps coming their way, causing the pair to both scrambed to their feet, spears ready in hand. Simon came running out of the jungle screaming about a beast. Not giving him a chance to explain, Angel and Jack were up in a flash as they dug their spears into Simon's skin. **Kill the beast!** Simon wailed in sheer pain as they two savages continued to stab and claw at him. **Cut his throat!** He fell to the ground, on the brink of death, and lay gasping for air that wasn't there. **Spill his blood! **Angel stood over him, staring down coldly. "Please don't, Sis," Simon begged. Angel mercilessly shook her head, malice shining in her eyes, and plunged the spear through his heart, killing him instantly. Ralph and Piggy heard the screams and followed them to see what the matter was. "Get them!" yelled Jack, raising his spear for emphasis. Angel went for Ralph as Jack went for Piggy. After the savage couple slaughtered both boys, they embraced each other with blood stained hands. "Now that they're gone, we can be together forever," Jack breathed. Angel smirked and kissed him. "Forever," she murmered.  
_

* * *

Angel shot up in bed screaming at the top of her lungs. Sweat covered her entire body as she hyperventilated. More angry tears streamed down her paled face as she clenched her fists. _Was I doomed to spend the rest of my life like this?_


	7. Decisions

_I'm so in love with two_  
_I don't want to push it_  
_I don't want to fight_  
_But this feeling keeps me up all night_

_If I only could decide_  
_But I can't make up my mind_  
_I'm breakin' all my rules because of you_  
_You can tell me it's not right_  
_And it tears me up inside_  
_But the problem is I'm so in love with two_

* * *

The week drug by painfully slow as Angel eagarly awaited Saturday. She hadn't seen Ralph in awhile and missed him terribly. Jack, however, was in a terrible mood. Yes, he still accompanied Angel around everywhere, but he remained more quiet than usual. His silent treatment was bothering Angel, however, she tried to hide it. She didn't want him to know her feelings for him.

Finally, Saturday morning approached. Angel shot out of bed and ran straight to her closet. She took out a grey dress shirt and a pair of light jeans and got dressed. After brushing her wavy hair in the mirror, she hurried over to the window and peered out into the parking lot. As she searched for Ralph, Jack came in through the door and stepped next to her, peering out the window as well.

"Alright, what are we searching for?" he asked causally, his arm slinking around her shoulders.

Angel jumped. "When did you get in here?"_ Did I leave the door unlocked again, or did I do it subconsciously so he could walk in whenever?_

Jack lazily shurgged. "About twenty six seconds ago." He took a deep breath. "So when is_ he_ coming?"

Angel glanced out the widow and saw a glimpse of blonde. _Ralph_! Ignoring Jack, she bolted down the hallway towards the parking lot, earning odd stares from the passing by students. Not caring, she entered the lot and headed straight for the blonde man. He turned and smiled when he saw her, holding out his arms to her. Angel crashed into him, hugging him with all her might. She pulled back to look at his fair face. His green eyes shone with excitment and joy. Angel grinned. Ralph's emoitions had always gleamed in his eyes, espcially on the island.

"Well hello beautiful," he breathed as he brushed his lips softly against hers. "I've missed you."

Angel leaned into him. "I've missed you too." She buried her head into his chest, still hugging him. Ralph tightened his arms around her, bringing her closer.

From above, Jack watched the two from Angel's window. Jealousy clawed and burned his stomach as he watched their reunion. "It's not fair," he murmered aloud. Rage boiled inside him, as he thought of Ralph with his Angel. "It's not fair!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, slamming his fist against the window. He wasn't going to stand aside and let Ralph take Angel. _Not, not again! It's time to take action!_ Jack tore himself away from the window and sprinted down the same path Angel had taken, shoving students out of his way as he ran towards his destination.

Angel and Ralph were sitting on the hood of Ralph's car talking about what their lives have been like since the island. Ralph was in mid sentence when he suddenly stopped talking.

"Ralph?" Angel asked, noticing his face visibly pale. "Ralph, what is it?"

Ralph's green eyes widened. "Jack Merridew," he whispered.

Jack approached the two with a fake smile. "Well hello, Ralphie," he said with a tone of mock kindess. "I bet you've missed me."

Ralph stared speechlessly at the redhead. Ralph thought he would have never seen Jack again, and now the hunter stood directly in front of him. He still had those cold, merciless eyes that shined with authority. Ralph's arm nervously twitched from it's place around Angel.

"Didn't think I'd ever see you again, Jack." Ralph mumbled. He raised his hand to his mouth and chewed a thumb nail, a habbit he still had.

Jack smirked. "Oh, but here I am! And I think you have something that belongs to me, so I advise you give it back this instant and leave." He eyes focused on Angel.

Angel shifted uncomfortably as Ralph raised an eyebrow. "Angel? She was never yours, Jack. And never will be," he shot back, coldness dripping from his voice.

Jack narrowed his eyes at the fair boy. "Wanna bet, cheif?" he spat angrily. His face was the same colour as his hair.

Angel sat watching the two boys horrifed._ What do I do? What should I say?_ Panicked overwhelmed her as Ralph jumped off from his spot on the car and stood facing Jack.

"Please don't fight, please don't fight," Angel whispered over and over. The colour was draining from her face. The two most important men in her life stood across from each other scowling and yelling at each other.

"Leave her alone, Jack!" Ralph shouted, his eyes flashing with anger.

Jack's blood was boiling with turmoil. "What are you going to do about it, pretty boy?" He took a threatning step forward, raising a clenched fist.

"No!" Angel yelled from her spot on the hood of Ralph's car. She jumped down in a panic and ran in between the two guys, standing directly in the middle of them. She put a dainty hand of both guy's chest and pushed. Neither of the two men budged, but they looked curiously at the brunette. Angel took a deep breath. "Stop fighting you two. Fighting won't resolve anything." She grabbed Ralph's hand and led him towards his car, away from Jack. Ralph kept his gaze on Jack as they departed from each other.

"This isn't over yet, Ralph," Jack venomously spat as he began to walk back to the school, his face still red. "It's only beginning."

Angel climbed into the passenger seat and glanced at Ralph. Obviously troubled, his fingers dug into the steering wheel as he sucked in a deep breath.

Angel leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, worried for his well being. "Don't worry about him, Ralph," she said cooly. "You have nothing to worry about."_ Right?_

Ralph pulled into the parking lot of a nice restaurant and parked the car smoothly. Pulling his keys from his ignition, he sighed and leaned back in his seat. Angel watched him from the corner of her eye. _Wow, he_ _was shaken up._ Angel leaned towards him and ran her hand down his face gently. He took her hand and held it.

"Jack is bluffing, right? He can't possibly think you're his." Ralph ran a hand through his fair hair as he blankly gazed straight ahead.

Angel swallowed as she felt her heart beat faster. "Yeah, he's bluffing," she choked out in a tiny voice. "He's insane, Ralph. You know that from the island."_ Yes, that sounded convincing._

"True," Ralph said thoughfully. His mouth curved into a small smile. "Shall we eat now?" he asked.

Angel giggled as her stomach growled. "Does that answer your question?"

Ralph chuckled and got out of the car in a single motion. Angel went to reach for the handle of her door, but Ralph beat her to it, opening her door for her from the outside. "Why thank you," she said, kissing his cheek. Ralph's face flushed a light pink as he grabbed her hand and led her inside.

* * *

After they ate, Ralph gently put a blindfold around Angel's eyes and helped her into the car.

"Ralph, what are you doing?" she giggled, her hands reaching for the blindfold.

Ralph grabbed her hand. "Don't touch it. You'll see," he said with a smirk.

After what seemed like an eternity, Angel finally felt the stop of the car. She felt excitment bubbling up in her stomach as she anticipated what Ralph was planning. She heard her car door open and felt a warm, strong hand take her own, leading her to some place unknown. Ralph led Angel and finally chose a spot to stop.

"You can remove your blindfold now," Ralph said quietly, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Angel slowly pulled the cloth from her around her eyes and gasped at what she saw. Her mouth fell open as her eyes widened. The sun was setting as she stood from her spot in the beautiful park. A big fountain poured out water next to her and flowers surrounded the fields they were in. Ralph took one knee and took out a small, velvet box. A decent sized diamond ring was revealed as he opened it. Eyes shining, he looked at her with a loving gaze.

"Angel, I know we're only eighteen and nineteen, but I've never been more certain about anything in my life. I love you and I couldn't imagine my life without you. Will you marry me?"

Angel, in a shock, stared at Ralph, her mouth wide open. She quickly gazed around at all of her surroundings and immediatly blurted out her answer.


	8. Confession

**A/N: Hiya! Dreadfully sorry about not updating for awhile, but I've had no idea what to do with this story. Hope you enjoy what I've came up with!**

_Cause I can't fight this feeling anymore_  
_I've forgotten what I started fighting for_  
_And if I have to crawl upon the floor_  
_Come crashing through your door_  
_Baby, I can't fight this feeling anymore_  
_My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you_  
_I've been running round in circles in my mind_

* * *

"Ralph, I love you," Angel started. "But I can't now. I'm sorry. I-I just need time to think." She lowered her head, trying to hide her misty eyes.

Ralph took a deep breath and shakily nodded. "Okay, Angel. If that's how you feel. Come on, I'll take you back to school."

The car ride back was quiet as the two were lost in their own thoughts. When Ralph pulled in the parking lot, he put the car in park and leaned back in his seat. Angel bit her lip and turned her head to look at him. Ralph blankly stared straight ahead at nothing as if in a trance. Angel cleared her throat causing Ralph to jump slightly.

"Do you have to go back to Manchester now?" Angel asked softly.

Ralph nodded. "Afraid so." He looked as if he were in pain as he took a deep breath. "I, uh, think th-that we need some time apart anyways. I know that you still have feelings for Jack. Maybe some time apart will help you to, um, choose."

Angel looked as if she were about to cry. "Oh, Ralph, I'm really sorry, but yes, some time apart may do me good. I don't know what I see in him, but there's something. Thank you for understanding."

Ralph stared at Angel with a pained expression as she kissed his cheek. "Goodbye," he whispered.

Angel turned around. "Goodbye, Ralph." She turned her back to him so he wouldn't be able to see the uninvited tears making their way down her face. She half sprinted up to her room and threw open the door. Laying on her bed, she began to pitfully sob. _What was wrong with her? Ralph was such a good guy._ She felt terrible for declining him, but something in her heart told her it was the right thing to do. Angel ran her fraile arm across her face and rubbed off the wetness from her tears. She jumped when she heard a knock on her door, followed by a distinctive voice.

"Angel? Are you alright?"

Angel dried the rest of her face with her hands and opened the heavy door. Jack saw Angel's face and instantly wrapped his arms around her, shutting the door with his foot.

"What happened?" he asked worridly, running his hand through her brown curls. "Whose ass do I have to kick?"

Angel let out a weak, small giggle and raised her green, swollen eyes to Jack. "No one's. It was my fault."

Jack looked interested. "Oh? What happened?" He led Angel to the bed to sit down.

"R-Ralph," she started, "Asked me to marry him and I said no. Then he said it'd be best to be apart for awhile."

Jack's eyes widened. "He did WHAT?" he shouted, his face flaring red. "I should have known he'd pull some kind of stunt like that."

Angel tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean?" she asked softly.

Jack's icy eyes rested on Angel. "You do realize why he asked you to marry him at such a young age, right?" He asked as if it were a rhetorical question.

Angel stared at him blankly. "No," she began slowly. "Why?"

Jack gritted his teeth at the thought. "To get you away from me," he hissed. He stood up in front of Angel. "If you would have said yes, I'd never get to see you again because of him. You'd be his and not mine..." He slowly trailed off.

Angel shook her head. "I think you're overthinking it," she said. "I doubt that's why he asked. Maybe he just wanted to marry me because he loves me." She looked thoughtful.

Jack's face matched his hair colour. "You guys are teenagers! Teenagers don't get married!" he stressed.

_Wow, he was worked up about this._ Jack had made a good point though. She sighed and chewed anxiously on her lip. True she loved Ralph, but eighteen was a young age for marriage. Also being in love with Jack wasn't helping either. Silently cursing herself, she raised herself off the bed, kicking her heels off, and headed towards the closet to change out of her uncomfortable dress clothes. Picking out a purple tank top and grey sweats, she turned around and faced Jack.

"Would you, uh, mind turning around?" She asked shly. A small blush began to form upon her face.

Jack, also blushing, nodded. "Yeah, uh, of course." He rubbed the back of his neck and suddenly looked very interested in the wall behind him.

Angel changed in record time, afraid that Jack would peek, and jumped on the bed. "Done!" she cried.

Jack turned around and plopped on the bed as well. "Angel?" He asked quietly.

Angel, detecting a hint of guilt in his voice, fixed her gaze on the red head next to her. She brushed a few curls back behind her ear. "Yes, Jack?"

Jack stared intently at the girl. "I just wanna say I'm sorry about everything that happened on the island. I really, truly am. I honestly don't know what came over me. It haunts me everyday and makes me sick. I know you could probably never forgive me, but I thought you needed to hear that."

Angel stared in awe. _Was this the same Jack Merridew she had known before?_ "You're not a savage anymore," She mumbled aloud in realization. "What happened?"

Jack shrugged. "The island did strange things to us all, I suppose. You were a savage for a brief time too."

Angel shuddered. She didn't want to remember any more about the island.

"So why did you say no to Ralph?" Jack asked with a spark of interest. "I thought you were crazy about him."

Angel bit her lip and cursed under her breath. "Well, I am, but he's not the only one I'm crazy over. I didn't want to admit it to myself, but it was true."

Jack smirked. "And who might that lucky man be?" He asked, causally looking at his nails and biting one.

Angel looked defeated. "You," She mumbled quietly.

Jack grinned in triumph. "I'm sorry," he said innocently, "I didn't catch that. Who?"

Angel's face flushed red. "You, Jack!" She yelled loudly. "It's been you all along! I don't why, but it's always been you! No more bloody denial! God, I must have gone mad. What's wrong with-"

Angel was cut off by Jack's lips pressing against hers. She absently reached out for Jack and threw her arms around his neck. He pulled her into his lap and wrapped his strong arms around her small body. Angel took in his minty scent and smiled. _This felt right._

Jack finally broke the kiss and stared at the brunette in amazement. "I like where this is going," he purred, running a hand through his messy red hair.

Angel giggled. "Really?" She asked in an amused voice. She went to repeat the action when Jack beat her to it, quickly pressing his lips against hers. Angel's head spun as Jack hungrily devoured her lips. The minty scent of him drove her crazy as she enthusiastically kissed back.

Jack suddenly pulled away and lustfully stared into her gleaming eyes. "Angel?"

Angel gazed back. "Jack?"

Jack smirked confidently at the girl. "Will you do me the honour of becoming my girlfriend?" He asked in a playful tone.

Angel smiled back. "Why, yes. Yes I will." She replied.

Jack grinned a boyish grin and planted another kiss on her lips. "Good," He whispered in a silkly tone.

Angel stared back at her red haired lover. _Did I make the right choice this time?_ She shook her head and dismissed her thoughts. Even if she didn't, she didn't care. She was still happy.

* * *

**A/N: Well there you have it. Angel finally chose. It took me a long time to decide which one I wanted her with because I wasn't sure who the readers liked better. I think most liked Jack better and I wanted to make the readers happy(: To you Ralph fans, dreadfully sorry :( Anyways, there's probably not too much left in this story. Maybe 3 or 4 chapters left. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story and pleeeeaaase review!**


	9. Protected

**A/N: I'm sooooo sorry for not updating in forever. I've been on vacation and I just celebrated my 17th birthday! To make up for it, I've tried to make this a long chapter! Enjoy and please review(:  
**

* * *

_Would you tremble if I touched your lips_  
_Would you laugh_  
_Please tell me this_  
_Now would you die for the one you loved_  
_Hold me in your arms tonight_

_I can be your hero baby_  
_I can kiss away the pain_  
_I will stand by you forever_  
_You can take my breath away_

_Would you swear that you'll always be mine_  
_Would you lie_  
_Would you run away_  
_Am I in too deep_  
_Have I lost my mind_  
_I don't care, you're here tonight_  
**  
**

* * *

Time flew by and before she knew it, she and Jack had been dating for three months. She still visited Alice every Sunday in her office. Her and the counselor had become very close throughout the school year.

Now it was almost Christmas time. Students were welcome to stay at the school or go home for the holidays. Seeing as the only family member she had left was her mother, Jack invited her to stay with him and his family during the holidays. Angel couldn't stand her mother and her neglectful behaviour. Ever since her father had passed away, her mother became an alcoholic. Without Simon to protect her from the wrath of her mother, she was helpless.

Angel looked outside at the falling snow and sighed. She only had one more day of classes before the two week long break started. Since it was early in the morning, she picked up her history book to study before her classes started. Angel took a small sip of coffee and set the book in her lap, opening it and scanning her eyes over the text. She set her coffee back on her nightstand and skimmed through the chapter quickly, her eyes moving fast over the small, black print. Angel closed the book ten minutes later and laid back on her bed. _God, she hated studying._ Rubbing her eyes, she chewed her lip and anxiously eyed the door waiting for Jack to appear. She glanced at the clock. It read 7:10 in big, red block letters. Angel's eyebrow furrowed. Jack was normally here by now. Their first class started at 7:30. Shrugging, Angel slid off the bed and crossed over to the mirror. She stood in front of it and quickly smoothed out her uniform skirt. She picked up her brush from the top of her dresser and ran it through her brown locks, pulling it up into a high ponytail. As she finished her hair, the wooden door creaked, announcing Jack's arrival. She hurried over to the door and received a tight hug from him.

"Morning, beautiful," Jack said in a cheery voice. He closed the door behind him and took his usual seat on the edge of Angel's bed.

"Good morning, handsome." Angel gathered her books and stuffed them in her bag. She counted her books and noticed one was missing. A puzzled expression spread across her face. _Where did she put that damn book?_ Angel made her way around the room opening drawers and turning over objects. _I just had it!_ Jack cleared his throat behind her. Angel spun around and faced Jack's smirk. He held up her history book and rolled his eyes.

"Looking for this?" he asked laughing. Angel's mouth fell open as she rushed to retrieve the book.

"Where did you find this at?" she demanded. She grabbed the book out of his hand and threw it into her bag.

Jack leaned back on the bed and chuckled. "Well if you knew how to look for things properly, you would have found that it was sitting on your bed." He grinned at her as she playfully shoved him.

"Come on," Angel said. "We should probably start heading down so we're not late."

Jack jumped off the bed and walked towards the door. Holding it open for Angel, the couple walked out of the room and made their way downstairs to the cafeteria. They got their food and sat down at their usual table. Angel picked off the bacon from her plate and set it on Jack's, focusing on her scambled eggs and hashbrowns. Eating quickly, they finished their food and dumped their trays. Taking Angel's hand, Jack led the way to English class.

The hour drug on as Mrs. Walker lectured about the Declaration of Independence. Angel looked around at the class and noticed half of the students were asleep. She chuckled to herself at the sight and looked over at Jack. His head was resting on top of his books as he slept peacefully, oblivious to Mrs. Walker's monotoned lesson. Angel pulled out her notebook and began doodling. She wrote Jack's name and drew hearts around it for the rest of the hour. After what seemed like an eternity, the bell rang dismissing the students to the next class. Angel stood up from her desk and shook Jack awake.

"Wake up," she hissed. Jack began to stir as he clumsily got to his feet.

"What hour is it?" he asked, still half asleep.

Angel shook her head and rolled her eyes. "It's only second. You slept through all of first."

"That's because Mrs. Walker is the most boring person in all of England." Jack sleepily grinned.

Angel laughed and headed out the door. Jack followed, taking her hand and walking her to class. Making sure the coast was clear, Angel quickly pecked Jack on the cheek. Jack grinned and hurried off to his class. Angel sat down in her desk and pulled out her science book. _It was going to be a long day._

After lunch, four hours later, Angel headed to gym class. As she stepped into the locker room she was greeted by Ronnie. Ever since she met Ronnie in her history class, they became good friends.

"Hey, Angel!" Ronnie squeaked. Angel threw her gym back next to Ronnie's and pulled the gym clothes out.

"Hey, Ron," Angel smiled. She quickly pulled on a grey gym uniform shirt and black shorts. Next to her, Ronnie did the same.

"So how are you and Jack?" she asked, pulling her auburn hair into a low ponytail.

"We're good," Angel said, adjusting her shirt. "I'm meeting his family during the holidays."

Ronnie turned to face Angel. "Really? I bet you're nervous."

Angel shrugged. "A little. It'll be fine though."

Ronnie nodded thoughtfully and the two girls, along with the class, headed to the gym. When they reached the gym, they saw the boys of the class were already engaged in an intense game of dodgeball. As the girls entered, the the gym teacher blew the whistle.

"Time to start the game over, boys. Okay girls, divide into two teams. Same for you boys!"

The class divided into two teams and faced each other on opposite sides of the gym. Luckily for Angel, she had Jack and Ronnie on her team. When the sound of the teacher's whistle sounded, the kids tore for the dodgeballs like wild savages. Keeping close to Ronnie, Angel stayed in the back not wanting to get hit. Angel hated gym games, especially ones like dodgeball where the students went wild. Ronnie, who hated games just as much as Angel, frantically jumped around to avoid the rubber dodgeballs flying in their direction. The girls shrieked and ran to a different location of the gym. Hiding behind everyone else, Angel scanned their side of the gym for Jack. She spotted him as he picked up a red ball and smacked a young looking boy from the other side in the face. The boy rubbed his cheek in pain and sprinted towards the bleachers to sit out with the other kids who were out. As more and more people got hit, the people to hide behind grew scarse. The only people left on Angel's side was her, Ronnie, Jack, and four boys. The other side had two tall, gruff looking boys. One had dirty blonde hair and a menacing scowl. The other had brown hair and hard, mean eyes. The blonde picked up a ball and fired it as hard as he could. The ball sailed across the gym and hit Ronnie hard in the stomach. She grunted and doubled over from the painful impact. Angel helped her up, and the girl ran off towards the bleachers before she could be hit with anything else. Angel flashed a scared expression at Ronnie before jumpping in the air to avoid a hard thrown ball. The boys from the other side cruely laughed as they continued to aim for Angel, throwing the ball with everything they could. The brunette boy scooped up a ball and fired a line drive at Angel. Angel, knowing she didn't have time to react, shut her eyes and waited for the ball to hit her face. When it didn't, she opened her eyes to see what was going on. Jack was standing directly in front of her, blocking the balls coming for her with the ball he had in his hand. When the boys ceased fire, Jack scooped up as many dodgeballs as he could and threw them so hard, it knocked the boys down.

The gym teacher blew his whistle. "That's the game! Merridew's side wins. Losing side, 20 push ups. Go!"

Jack shot a hard look at the boys before turning to Angel.

"You alright?" he asked with a rough voice.

Angel stared at him with wide eyes. She slowly nodded before she was taken into Jack's arms. He possesively hugged her for a brief moment before going to talk to one of the choir boys. Ronnie shot up from her place on the bleachers and ran towards Angel.

"Did you see the look in his eyes?" she began excitedly. "He had the most savage look in his eyes when he was defending you! It was sort of cute in an intense way."

Angel half smiled at her friend's rambling. It was true. Whenever something posed even the slightest bit of danger, Jack's inner savage would come out.

"Well," added Ronnie, "At least you'll always be protected."

"Good point, Ron," Angel said absently. She gazed at Jack. He appeared much more calm as he talked with his peers.

After gym, Angel and Ronnie headed to history together. After taking a fifty question test, classes were dismissed and students were allowed to leave for break. Angel hugged Ronnie, promising her a Chirstmas present, and walked out the door to meet Jack. He held out his hand to her and led the way up to her room.

Once they approached her door, Angel jammed her silver key into the lock and shoved the door open. She took out a large suitcase and began filling it with clothes and necessities. "Are you sure your family is okay with me staying with you guys for the holidays?" Angel asked warily. "I don't want to impose on you guys."

Jack placed a soft kiss on her lips and looked into her eyes. "My family is excited to meet you. They said they can't wait for us to arrive."

Angel smiled, more confident, and finished packing. "I'm ready," she declared.

Jack carried her suitcase for her and threw it in the back of his truck. He slid into the driver's seat, and started the car. He looked over at Angel next to him and smiled reassuringly.

"Nervous?" He asked, picking up on her uneasy appearance.

She nodded. " I always am when I meet new people."

He grabbed her hand and gently squeezed it. "Don't worry, Angel. They'll love you. I promise." He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

When he sensed she felt better, Jack put the truck in gear and began driving in the direction of his family's house. After driving for a little less than an hour, they finally reached the Merridew house. Jack put the truck in park and switched off the ignition. He flung his car door open and went to the other side to open Angel's door for her. She gingerly stepped out of the car and gazed at the house. She immediatly began chewing her lip as she took in her surroundings. Butterflies began to fly around in her nervous stomach as she stared quietly at the house. _What if they didn't like her? What if they were rude? What would Jack do if they were?_ Jack pulled her out of her trance as he handed her the suitcase. He grabbed his suitcase as well with one hand, and Angel's free hand with his other. He led her up the stairs to the house in front of them. Jack twisted the knob and found that the door was locked. Releasing Angel's hand for a split second, he loudly knocked at the door and grabbed her hand again.

"Oh, by the way," Jack started. "My mother's name is Molly. I also have a sister named Catherine and a brother named Brendan. My dad left us when I was five."

Angel nodded as the door slowly opened. A woman in her early forties answered the door. She was tall and thin with bright red hair hanging in curls around her shoulders. She had a kind face and the same blue eyes as Jack.

"Jack!" she shouted excitingly. "Oh, Jack! It's so good to see you!" She pulled him into a long hug. When she let Jack go, her gaze fell upon Angel. She smiled warmly at the brunette. "And you must be Angel. You're a very pretty girl." She pulled Angel into a short motherly hug.

"Well thank you, Mrs. Merridew. That's very kind of you," Angel said polittely.

"Oh, darling!" the woman cried. "You can call me Molly!"

"Okay, Molly. It's nice to meet you," Angel smiled.

The woman smiled back. "Likewise dear. Now let's get you kids settled in!" Molly ushered the couple in and took their coats for them. "I better tell the other two you're here. Kids! You're brother is here!" she yelled.

Immediatly, eager footsteps were heard coming down the stairs. Two kids with identical hair and eyes ran down the stairs and collided with Jack.

"Catherine! Brendan! So good to see you again!" Jack cried happily hugging them. "I'd like you two to meet my girlfriend Angel."

Their gazes focused on the brunette in front of them. Angel smiled and waved shyly. "Hello. I'm Angel. Nice to meet you."

Catherine smiled back at her. "I'm Catherine," she introduced. "I'm fourteen years old." She motioned towards her younger brother. "This is Brendan. He's ten."

Angel bent down to Brendan's height. "Hello," she said gently. "It's nice to meet you, Brendan."

Brendan shyly giggled and grinned at her. "Hi, Angel!"

Angel laughed and stood back up next to a beaming Jack. His hand found its way back to hers as they grinned at each other.

"Well, Jack," Molly started, "I'm afraid you two are going to have to share a room while you're here. We don't really have too much room. You guys are eighteen and I trust you to make responsible choices anyways."

Angel felt her face turn red at what Molly was hinting at. "Don't worry," she said, "We'll be fine."

Molly smiled. "I know you will, dear. Now you two must be starving! Come into the kitchen. I made some roast beef."

After dinner, Jack and Angel headed downstairs to their room to unpack. Angel was filling the drawers with clothes when she felt Jack come up from behind her and wrap his muscular arms around her waist. She turned in his arms and pecked his lips. She then went back to unpacking.

"That's all I get?" Jack asked with mock sadness.

Angel rolled her eyes and turned around completely to kiss him again. This time the kiss lasted longer as Jack waited for Angel's lips to part. When they did, his tongue quickly shot into her mouth and began to dance with hers. Their tongues fought for dominace, with Jack eventually winning. Angel finally broke the kiss.

"The faster I unpack, the more time we'll have to ourselves later," she said cooly with a wink.

Jack smirked. "Well you better hurry up then."

Angel finished unpacking in record timing. Right as she folded the last shirt away, she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in!" she shouted.

The door opened and Molly appeared behind it. "I'm just coming down to tell you two good night. I'm going to bed. See you in the morning!" she said in a chipper voice. She reshut the door and headed back up to the first floor. As soon as he was sure she was gone, Jack approached Angel and took her in his arms.

"You know we're all the way in the basement, right?" he said, lust dripping from his voice. "My mom is two floors up. That's pretty far away from here." He quickly locked the door behind them.

Angel bit her lip to stop from chuckling at his behavoiur. "Yes, I'd certainly say so."

Jack grabbed her arm and led her to the edge of the bed. Before he could make a move, Angel quickly pushed him back onto the bed, catching Jack off guard. She climbed on top of him and pressed her lips firmly against his. She smiled against his lips as her thoughts ran wild. She liked having this kind of dominance. It was something she'd never experienced before. She was still curious and a bit naive at this kind of stuff. Feeling brave, she exprimented by letting her hand drop to Jack's upper thigh. She felt Jack tense up at her movement. Angel dared to even go lower until she came to a certain spot. She felt Jack lean into her touch as a small, quiet moan slipped from his lips. Pleased with his reaction, Angel pressed her hand down hard, moving her fingers across Jack. She smirked when she heard more soft moans come from inside his throat. She continued with what she was doing until Jack brought his hand up, doing something similar to her. A loud moan escaped her lips as he rubbed his fingers along her lower region. She quickly covered her mouth, embarrassed at the sounds she made. Jack took her hand down and kissed her.

"Don't worry about it," he said soothingly. "No one will hear us." He placed another kiss on her lips and made a trail down to her neck. He nipped at her neck and gently sucked. Angel bit her lip suppressing a loud moan. Jack made his way back to her lips.

"Do you... uh... wanna do this?" he asked trying to hide the nervousness in his masculine voice.

Angel took a deep breath. _Yes!_ Her thoughts screamed. _Yes! Now!_

"Not tonight. We should wait for a time when no one's home. I don't want to risk being caught," she heard herself say. She shook away all of her thoughts and began to think rationally. "What if someone were to hear us?"

Jack frowned. Angel could tell he knew she was right, but didn't want it to be true. "You're right," he said with a hint of frustration. He laid back on to the bed pulling Angel with him. "We should probably get some sleep then."

"Okay," she said. "Good night, Jack."

"Night, Angel. I love you."

Angel's stomach dropped._ He said it. Those three powerful words. He actually said it!_ Her heart began to race and she felt the butterflies from earlier return. When she spoke, there was no denying the excitement in her voice.

"I love you too, Jack."


	10. Savagery and Nightmares

**A/N: Only two reviews last chapter? Really now people? Lol. Anyways, I would like to thank SideshowJazz1 and Hammsters for reviewing the most! You guys are awesome(: Ohh also this chapter is rated M for lemons! :D Enjoyyyyyyy.**

* * *

_The taste of the air,_  
_Dry on your tongue._  
_The sounds of nothing,_  
_Of songs unsung._  
_The feeling of ghost bumps,_  
_Prickling your neck._  
_The smell of blood,_  
_Bodies are wrecked._  
_The view of darkness,_  
_The sky and the stars._  
_These are what my nightmares are._

_The smile of a friend,_  
_As they realise their fate._  
_The tears on your cheeks,_  
_'Cause you know it's too late._  
_The laugh of a murderer,_  
_Wielding his spear._  
_The scream of a child,_  
_As he faces the fear._  
_Hearing the voices, near and far._  
_These are what my nightmares are._

* * *

The bright rays of sunshine that streamed from the window awoke Angel from her sleep. She sat up in bed and rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes. She looked over at Jack, who still lay asleep next to her, and smiled fondly. Placing a light kiss on his warm cheek, she got up from bed and walked to the closet to get dressed. She pulled out a grey long sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans. Slipping into them quickly, she began to run a brush through her brown curls. Hearing movement behind her, she saw Jack begin to stir .

"Morning, beautiful," he said groggily. He arose from bed and crossed the room to pull her into a tight hug. Angel sighed as she took in his familar minty scent.

"Good morning, my love," she smiled. "Sleep well?"

"Like a rock," Jack chuckled. "I wonder what Mom's making for breakfast. She always seems to be cooking something."

Jack led Angel upstairs to the kitchen. They were greeted by a pajama clad Molly. She flipped an egg in a skillet and handed the two glasses of chocolate milk.

"Here you guys are," she sang. "The eggs should be done in just a moment."

Angel shook her head and smiled. If only she could be as chipper as the Merridew family in the morning. She followed Jack into the dinning room and took a seat next to him at the table. Within moments, Molly glided into the room with two plates of eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns. Out of habit, Angel lifted the bacon from her plate and put it on Jack's. Molly raised an eyebrow as a confused expression played upon her pale face.

"Do you not like bacon, dear?" she asked curiously. Angel shifted uncomfortably in her seat and looked down. _Yes, because bacon is made out of pig! Pigs_ _are associated with the island!_ Her mind ran wild with thoughts from the island. _Why couldn't she just forget it? Why couldn't she move on from it and continute to live the rest of her life without being haunted?_ She began to nervously chew on her lip as Molly tilted her head to the side, patiently awaiting the girl's answer.

"No, ma'am. I'm not too fond of it," she managed to choke out. "I don't really like anything made from pig."

The last sentence she spoke caused Jack to look up from his pile of bacon. He stopped chewing and immdiately began to look guilty. He was just as uncomfortable, if not more, at the mention of the word pig. He still had habits from the island and his inner savage would arise from time to time, yet the memories guilted him immensly.

Noticing the couple's sudden tense behavior, Molly frowned and patted Jack's head.

"Perhaps not the best thing to mention." she said catching the hint. "I'm going to finish up breakfast for the kids." With that, Molly walked back into the kitchen leaving the two alone in silence.

"I'm sorry for my mother. I think she sometimes forgets I was ever on that island. I even told her in advance not to cook anything made from pig. I guess it must have slipped her mind." Jack rubbed the back of his neck and bent his head to continue eating.

"Don't worry about it, Jack," Angel started. "It's okay." She picked up her fork and picked at her eggs, eventually raising them to her lips to eat. The rest of breakfast remained silent until Catherine and Brendan came downstairs to eat. Getting their plates of eggs, they joined Angel and Jack. Molly pulled back a chair and sat at the head of the table.

"So what do you two have planned for today?" she asked as she dug her fork her pile of hashbrowns. Angel and Jack looked at each other blankly.

"Nothing, I suppose," Jack answered. He took a bite of bacon and chewed it quickly. "What about you guys?"

Molly set her fork down and looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think I'm going to take the kids shopping today. Do you two want to come along?"

Angel looked over at Jack and nodded her approval. Jack smiled and turned to face his mother.

"Sure," he said. "We'll just meet you up there later."

Molly clapped her hands together and grinned. "Wonderful!" she said. "Sounds like we have a fun day ahead of us."

Angel and the Merridews spent the last part of breakfast eating and engaging in small conversations. When they were finished, Molly and the siblings went upstairs to ready themselves before leaving. Jack, followed by Angel, went downstairs to the basement to get dressed. Pulling out a black tee shirt and jeans, he lifted the plain white pajama tee off him and threw it to the ground. Angel sat on the bed eyeing him quietly with admiration. Jack chuckled to himself as he watched Angel out of the corner of his eye.

"Like what you see?" he teased, turning around to face her. Angel coyly nodded, earning a boyish grin from Jack. He beckoned for her to come closer with one finger. Angel rose up from the bed and embraced him. Jack immediatly went for Angel's lips, devouring them instantly. Angel hungrily kissed back and leaned into him as close as she could get. Jack's muscular arms wrapped around his love's petite frame as he guided them to the bed. He fell backwards on to the soft mattress, bringing Angel with him. He then turned her over so he could hover above her. Angel's small hand reached up and ran her fingers through Jack's messy red hair. Jack smiled down at her affectionately before sliding his hands underneath her shirt. His rough hands ran up and down Angel's body before he slid her shirt and bra off. Angel flinched as the cold air met her bare chest. Jack's body pressed down onto hers, his warm skin doing little to cure her chills. Both of their pants and underwear were next to come off as they were thrown somewhere unknown on to the floor. Jack's mouth reclaimed Angel's as he adjusted himself over her. When she felt his hardness brush against her thigh, that's when reality sunk in. _She was actually about to do this with Jack._ A sudden pang of nervousness hit Angel in the stomach. She'd only done this once before with Ralph on the island. She felt unexprienced and naive as Jack began to position himself at her enterance.

"Are you sure about this?" Jack asked huskily. Angel detected a faint nervousness in his voice as his icy eyes rested upon her.

"I'm sure," Angel said quietly. "Are you sure?"

Jack slowly nodded. "Yes. Th-this is my first time," he stuttered. "I assume you and what's-his-face have done this before?" he asked, refusing to use Ralph's name.

Angel felt a wave of guilt wash over her as she looked up at Jack and nodded. A faint gleam of disappointment shined in his eyes before Angel reached up and kissed him softly.

"It wasn't really meaningful if it means anything to you," she said sincerely. "We thought we were both about to die so..." Angel absently trailed off as Jack titled his head.

"I understand, I guess," he said more happily. "Are you ready now?"

Angel gave him the nod of approval before he slowly began to slide himself into her. Angel let out a short gasp as the thick pressure slipped inside her. He pushed in deeper and deeper before he finally began thrusting at a steady pace. Angel moaned loudly and arched her back, her nails digging into Jack. She slowly began to relax her tense muscles as she wrapped her legs around Jack's body. She squeezed her eyes shut and focused on the pure bliss of the moment, uncontrollable moans escaping her lips. When her eyes finally opened, they briefly met with Jack's. She gasped when she saw the tenderness in his icy blue eyes had been replaced with complete savagery. Angel could have sworn that if they hadn't been making love at the moment, she would have thought he was trying to kill her. She shut her eyes to escape Jack's ferocious look and concentrated on the pleasure she was receiving from him.

"Angel," Jack savagely moaned, suddenly increasing his pace. Angel's breathes became shorter and shorter until they were nothing but short gasps. Jack pushed in and out harder and harder, his pace still increasing. His crazed eyes focused on Angel as she slowly reopened her eyes. She felt her stomach drop as her eyes met Jack. She couldn't believe the strong intensity she felt. They both grew closer and closer to orgasm as Jack continued to dominate Angel. The moment was just around the corner. Jack gritted his teeth as a rush of magnificent warmth filled Angel. She came not long after Jack did, both moaning loudly. Pure ecstasy washed over their faces as Jack collapsed onto the bed next to Angel. She buried her face into his shoulder as they both lay in silence. Heavy breathing was the only thing that could be heard in the room as the happy couple drifted into a short nap.

When Angel awoke, the first thing she saw was Jack's eyes. The savage had faded, and a new calmness shined within them. Half smiling, Angel kissed Jack on the lips before getting up to redress. Jack followed her actions quickly before grabbing his car keys off the dresser.

"We should probably meet my family at the mall soon so they don't suspect anything," Jack said, pulling on a coat.

Angel nodded as she finished dressing herself. She brushed out her hair and pulled it into a quick ponytail before thowing on a coat and following Jack out to the truck. Hopping into the driver's side, Jack started the car and headed off in the the direction of the mall. Reaching it in no time, Angel and Jack practically flew into the front doors. Once they were in, they slowed down to catch their breath. After a quick moment of rest, Jack took Angel's hand and they departed off to numerous shops in search for Christmas gifts for the family. After looking in several shops, the two had come up with perfumes and candles for Molly, clothes for Catherine, and many different toys for Brendan. The only thing they needed now was gifts for each other. They arranged a meeting time and place and seperated in search for the perfect present. After searching, and getting Ronnie and Alice's gifts along the way, Angel finally decided on getting Jack a pocketwatch with his name engraved on it, and a personalized pocket knife. She hoped the knife wouldn't remind him too much of the island. She felt the present suited him, however. Tying the bags shut to keep the objects hidden, she departed out of the store and decided to kill time until she had to meet Jack. After absently wandering around, she found Catherine in a shoe store. Angel smiled and approached the small redhead.

"Hello. Mind if I join you?" Angel asked politely.

Catherine looked up from the pair of heels she was trying on. "Of course," she grinned. "But only if you help me pick out a pair!"

Angel giggled and tucked a loose curl behind her ear. "Will do!"

Catherine looked back down at the gold heels on her feet and fastened the strap. Trying to stand up in them, she supported herself by holding the wall.

"What do you think of these?" she asked while awkwardly trying to keep her balance.

Angel fought back a laugh. "I think you need to find a pair you can actually walk in!"

A small laugh escaped Catherine's mouth. "Yeah, you're right. I should probably wait until I'm a little older for heels." Using Angel's shoulder for balance, she walked to a chair and sat down to take the heels off. Pulling them off in two swift motions, she walked back to the shoe display to pick out another. Her eyes fell open a simple pair of black flats.

"What about these?" she asked, wanting Angel's opinion.

"I like them," Angel smiled. "Try them on!"

Catherine slipped the shoes on and looked at them through the mirror. "I think I like them too. They're comfortable."

Angel nodded. "They're cute too. Come help me pick out a pair of shoes!"

Catherine slipped the shoes off and placed them back in the box. Setting it down on the chair, she helped Angel pick out a pair of sliver heels.

"Maybe I can teach you how to walk in these things," Angel chuckled. "I, however, happen to be the clumsiest woman on Earth, so I'm not sure how that would turn out."

Catherine laughed loudly. "At least it will be amusing!"

The two girls paid for their shoes and went next door to a clothing store.

"I definitely need something to wear for Chirstmas," Angel stated, her eyes wandering around. She walked around the store looking for something to capture her attention.

"So do I," Catherine said. "I'll have to find something too."

The two looked through each clothing rack until they both found outfits they liked. Buying matching jewlery as well, the girls walked out of the store satisfied. Angel pulled back her sleeve and glanced at her watch.

"It's time for me to meet your brother. Want to come?" she asked. Catherine nodded, and the two departed to go find Jack. Reaching him in no time, Angel walked up to him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Ew!" Catherine teased, receiving a playful shove from Jack. He took Angel's hand and the three went off to locate the rest of the family.

* * *

That night, Angel restlessly tossed and turned. She rolled over and propped herself up on one elbow to face Jack. She eyed him jealously as he peacfully slept. She rolled back on to her back and stared up at the ceiling. She didn't know when sleep consumed her, but she knew it had, for she was no longer in her room, but in a humid, green jungle.

_She was running as fast as she could as she heard faint war cries in the distance. Creepers and branches smacked her harshly as she flew through the area silently. Escaping from the jungle, she ran on to the empty beach and stopped dead in her tracks. Where were the naval officers? Where was Ralph? Panicking, she started to run again, heading in an unknown direction. Losing energy, she stopped running and came across the bathing pond. She approached the pool of water and peered into it, gasping at her reflection. She was completely covered, head to toe, in black and red war paint. Disgusted, she jumped into the pond and scrubbed the paint off hastily. When she finished, she picked up running again, still not knowing where she was going. She darted back into the jungle, desperately flailing her arms to move the branches from blocking her vision. Unsuccessful, the branches hit her face until she collided with something hard. Rubbing her head and looking up, she shrieked at what she saw. A spear sharped at both ends now laid limply across the jungle floor and a decapitated pig head sat next to it, demonically grinning at her. Angel stared wide eyed as the pig head seemed to silently mock her, a crazed expression upon its dead face. Flies began to fly around it, creating overwhelmingly loud buzzing noises in Angel's ears. Scrambling to her feet, she began to back away from the mess, eyeing the pig warily. With one last look, she ran away, tearing through the jungle. Tripping over a root, she sailed through the air, meeting the unforgiving ground hard. Whesadin her vision refocused, she saw Roger standing above her, a menacing look plasted on his painted face. His black eyes shined with malice as he lifted his sharpend shear and charged. Making sure Angel couldn't get loose, he sadistically grinned at her before bringing the spear down into her chest. Her vision went completely black as she slumpped to the ground, dead._

_When her eyes reopened, she saw nothing but white. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she frantically looked around trying to determine her current location. Her eyes focused upon the boy that was approaching her. His hazel eyes glowed as they fixed their gaze on her. Simon. Slowly standing up, Angel threw her arms around her lost brother and let her tears loose._

_"I thought I'd never get the chance to apologize for everything," she sobbed. Her body shook violently as she buried her head into Simon's shoulder. "I'm so sorry. Simon. I love you so much."_

_Simon sympathetically smiled as his grip on Angel tightened. "I love you too." His angelic voice reverberated throughout the entire room. He released her from his grip and used his hand to wipe away the tears from Angel's face. "Don't worry about me anymore, okay?" he said gently, lifting her chin up to meet his eyes. "I'm in a good place now." He gave her one last hug and pecked her cheek. He turned and headed over to a man waiting for him in the distance. The man had curly brown hair and hazel eyes. Angel immediatly recognized him as her father as his warm smile lit up the entire room. Her father and Simon waved and began to decend into the distance, side by side._

Angel jerked awake with tears streaming down her face. Jack lifted his head up and rubbed his tired eyes.

"What's wrong, Angel?" he asked, quickly pulling the weeping brunette into his arms. Angel's watery eyes met Jack's as she told him everything about her dream. Jack listened intently, occasionally nodding, and continued to hold her.

"It sounds to me like your nightmares are over," he said optimistically. "You have nothing more to worry about." He kissed her forehead and began to softly sing to her. Angel felt her eyelids grow heavy as she listened to her lover's angelic voice. Eyes sliding shut, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. Jack looked down at the now asleep Angel and smiled, silently thanking himself for being in choir.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry to say that this story has only one more chapter left. I have an idea (and if you guys agree with me then I'll do it) of making another story about Jack and Angel's lives when they are older! It is under consideration and if you guys think it should happen, then it will! :D Please review and let me know what you think! **


	11. Epilogue

**A/N: Welcome to the last chapter of Haunted. I want to thank everyone who took the time to read this. I'm so happy that I did not get one flame this whole story(: I really hope you enjoy the final chapter! I'm sorry that it's kind of short.**

* * *

_It's only the beginning now_  
_...a pathway yet unknown_  
_At times the sound of other steps_  
_...sometimes we walk alone_

_The best beginnings of our lives_  
_May sometimes end in sorrow_  
_But even on our darkest days_  
_The sun will shine tomorrow._

_So we must do our very best_  
_Whatever life may bring_  
_And look beyond the winter chill_  
_To smell the breath of spring._

_Into each life will always come_  
_A time to start anew_  
_A new beginning for each heart_  
_As fresh as morning dew._

* * *

It was finally Christmas Eve at the Merridew house. Molly's parents, Charlie and Diana, came over to spend the hoildays with the family as well. Catherine and Brendan sat under the tree opening the presents from their grandparents, happy smiles plastered on their faces. Jack and Angel sat on the couch watching them, his arm draped around her.

"Someday that will be our kids we'll be watching and not my brother and sister," Jack smiled. Angel grinned and sighed happily, leaning her head against Jack's shoulder. The couple watched as the family happily opened presents and conversed with one another. Charlie picked up two boxes and slowly made his way over to Jack and Angel.

"Here you go Jack," Charlie said, giving Jack a wrapped box. The old man turned and faced Angel, smiling. "Don't worry, dear. I got you a little something too," he said, handing her a similar box.

"Thanks, Charlie," the brunette smiled, opening her box to reveal a brown sweater.

The old man smiled back at her. "Oh honey, you're like family now. Call me grandpa!"

Angel and Jack chuckled as the both hugged him. "Thank you, Grandpa," they said in unison.

After the family left later that night, the couple bid good night to Molly and began to head downstairs. Jack walked to his dresser and pulled out a box with a purple bow on top from the bottom drawer.

"Merry Christmas, Angel," he smiled, handing her the box. Angel shook her head.

"We have to wait until Christmas Day to open presents, Jack," she said playfully. Jack rolled his eyes and pointed at the clock. 12:01 gleamed back at them with red, sqaure numbers. Angel shoved him lightly and pulled out her now wrapped presents to Jack. Opening them quickly, he observed them and wrapped Angel in his arms for a hug.

"I love them," he said, placing a kiss on her lips. "Now open yours."

Angel sat down on the bed and pulled the bow off from the top, sticking it to Jack's cheek. Briefly chuckling, she continued to unwrap her present. She opened the box and gasped at what she saw inside. She pulled out a golden locket and held it in her hand, observing it carefully. It was in the shape of a heart and had 'Love you forever' engraved in small cursive print. Jack took Angel's hand and led her to stand in front of the mirror. Placing a quick kiss on her cheek, he took the necklace from her hand and stood behind her, fastening it around her neck. Angel stood, speechless, and ran her fingers across her neck.

"Jack, it's beautiful," she breathed. She turned around to face him. "I love you."

Jack placed a kiss on her lips before answering her. "I love you too."

* * *

The rest of the school year seemed to fly by as winter melted into spring. Before they knew it, it was graduation. They stood with their class as they waited for their names to be called to receive their diploma.

"Evangeline Maire Kingsley," Angel heard a loud voice call. Taking a deep breath, Angel carefully walked across the stage and received her diploma, shaking hands with her principal. She looked into the crowd and saw the Merridew family standing and clapping for her. Small tears began to form in her eyes as she walked to sit back down.

After the ceremony was over, Angel scanned the crowd to find the one person she was looking for. Finding her, she quickly made her way through the crowd and collided with her for a hug.

"Alice!" she cried happily.

The counselor smiled and hugged the girl tightly. "I'm so proud of you, honey!" She released Angel from her tight hug. "You're gonna go far in life. I just know it!" She pushed back her white blonde hair and grinned. Alice took Angel's soft hand in her wrinkled one and squeezed tightly. "You have my mailing address, so I expect you to write me, okay?"

Angel nodded. "Of course I will!" Suddenly hearing her name, she looked over her shoulder and saw the Merridews calling her. Smiling at them, she turned back to Alice. "Well, I guess this is goodbye," she said sadly. Tears began to sting their way back into her eyes. She silently cursed her emotions and pulled Alice back into a long hug.

"It will never be goodbye," the counselor started wisely. "For I will always be right here," she smiled, pointing to Angel's heart. Biding farewell to the old woman, she turned and began walking back to her family. _Her family._ They were the closest thing she had to one, and she loved them all. Hugging each Merridew, she paused when she got to Jack.

"We finally graduated," she said. "What comes next?" Jack draped his arm around her and smiled.

"We find a place and move in together," he said. "If that's want you want, that is."

Angel kissed his cheek. "Of course," she smiled. "I love you."

Jack stroked the necklace around her neck. "Love you forever," he recited.

_And true to his word, he did.  
_

* * *

**A/N: And so concludes Haunted. Yes, I know the ending seems a bit rushed, but I didn't want to have to write about the rest of the school year. I, personally, am in favour of writing a third story, so be sure to look out for it! Please review and take care(: **


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